News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The “Resilient Voices: Western Balkans Civil Society in a Changing World” (Tirana, Oct 1, 2025) gathered over 150 CSOs, policymakers, and donors to confront escalating pressures on civic space, including smear campaigns and potential burdensome EU foreign funding regulations. The event culminated in the publication of a Declaration, which outlines concrete steps for CSOs, governments,
Read more →Balkan Civil Society Development Network Executive Director Biljana Spasovska, speaking at the OGP Global Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz during the “Participation and Inclusion” Global Dialogue, highlighted the escalating crisis facing CSOs in the Western Balkans. The threat now includes new, problematic legislation alongside tactics like smear campaigns and arbitrary inspections, which effectively silence independent voices. Spasovska
Read more →The Vitoria-Gasteiz Declaration was officially adopted at the 2025 OGP Global Summit, securing almost 160 new endorsements. This major commitment unites governments, civil society, and partners in a shared global effort to strengthen democracy and protect civic space. The Declaration reaffirms the open government community’s core commitment to transparency, participation, and accountability as tools to
Read more →The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Gina Romero, has released a new report sounding the alarm over the escalating threats to civic space worldwide. According to the report, the erosion of these fundamental rights has been compounded by the dismantling of global aid systems and increasing
Read more →The “Guidelines on the Right to Peaceful Environmental Protest and Civil Disobedience” have been released, drawing on both the Aarhus Convention and international human rights treaties and standards. These Guidelines provide both guiding and operational principles to assist Aarhus Parties and other UN Member States in protecting environmental defenders who engage in peaceful protest, including
Read more →A new study, based on CSOs in Czechia, Hungary, and Bulgaria, reveals that a CSO’s ability to withstand political hostility and funding withdrawal is determined primarily by its internal attributes, not just the external environment. Analyzing CSOs that faced pressure between 2010 and 2019, the research highlights that while many organizations reduced staff or replaced
Read more →A new report, “Next Wave: How Religious Extremism Regains Power,” reveals that European anti-gender movements spent $1.2 billion between 2019 and 2023 to target women’s reproductive rights, LGBTQI+ rights, and secular education. CSOs must be aware that this funding, sourced from the US, Russia, Hungary, and other European sources, supports the professionalization of these movements.
Read more →Spyware has emerged as a major threat to human rights and a tool for societal control, undermining privacy under the guise of national security. The book A Privacy Nightmare: Understanding Spyware explores the technical evolution of spyware to sophisticated systems like Pegasus and NoviSpy, its unregulated legal status, and its impact on democracy. Experts argue
Read more →The CASE Coalition has designated the legal actions launched by Stella O’Malley and Genspect against psychotherapist Leonie O’Dowd as a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation). Despite O’Dowd complying with requests to delete parts of her article, O’Malley and Genspect have threatened further legal action, demanding apologies and retractions. The Coalition condemned the abusive litigation,
Read more →SCiDEV has released a new policy memo, “On the Edge of Convergence,” as part of the “Ignita 2025: On the Edge” Forum. The memo notes positive developments, including Horizon Europe association and Growth Plan financing. However, it highlights persistent structural challenges such as underinvestment in R&D, brain drain, weak governance, and limited EU research participation.
Read more →A new regional overview by the SafeJournalists Network highlights that women journalists across the Western Balkans face disproportionate digital violence that is often systemic and organized. This targeted violence aims to limit their participation in both public and online spaces. While North Macedonia and Croatia have positive legal frameworks, the primary challenge for CSOs seeking
Read more →CSOs are urged to adopt Dynamic Accountability practices to rebuild legitimacy and secure survival amid shrinking freedoms and smear campaigns. Speaking at the Global Accountability Month online session, BCSDN Executive Director Biljana Spasovska noted that accountability now defines not just credibility but survival. Dynamic accountability moves beyond compliance, focusing on reconnecting CSOs with citizens and
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